SPROUT Awards

Duffield Engineering launched the SPROUT (Support for Promising Research Opportunities and Unconventional Teams) Awards program in 2022 to support emerging collaborations. This funding opportunity aims to support teams of investigators with demonstrated success who are pursuing novel research at the intersection of multiple fields, with the expectation that the investment will result in submission of a proposal to an external agency. Occasionally, as resources allow and circumstances require, opportunities may arise for variations on standard SPROUTs.
Sprout Awards
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Submission form for 2026 SPROUT proposals

(Deadline: April 22, 2026) 

Information for 2026 SPROUT Awards 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the following information before applying.

  • What is a SPROUT? 

    A SPROUT award will provide support for an interdisciplinary project that was submitted to an outside agency, reviewed well, but was ultimately not selected for funding. Evidence of a positive review must be presented. Support will also be considered for collaborative projects that resulted in publication of a peer-reviewed article since 2024; however, priority will be given to projects in the former category.

  • What support does a SPROUT Award provide?

    For 2026, the standard funding package will support one Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) for one full year — from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027 — with up to $2,500 available for expenses and the option to request an additional $2,500 to be expended at a Cornell supported facility. For teams that include faculty at Cornell campuses outside of Ithaca, $5,000 in expenses may be requested. Half SPROUTS, supporting half of a GRA, may also be awarded. There is no F&A for these internal projects.

    Beginning in 2026, additional funding can be unlocked for particularly promising projects that have received truly exceptional reviews but no external support. Additional materials must be submitted to access this funding.

  • Who is eligible for a SPROUT? 

    SPROUT funding is available to demonstrated, but fledgling, collaborations to help mature these efforts to successfully pursue competitive, external funding to fully sustain the project. Two or more faculty must be invested in the project, and each faculty member can only be associated with one submission. The faculty lead for the project must have an appointment in the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering, and all faculty involved must be affiliated with Cornell University.

    Teams will be eligible to receive two cycles of funding under the SPROUT award mechanism. Previous SPROUT-supported teams are eligible to apply for a second round of funding, but they must demonstrate that a proposal to continue the work has been or will be submitted before the end of the first funding period.

     

  • How can I use the funds?

    Standard SPROUT awards are intended to support one graduate student to advance the project to full proposal stage. Additional funds can be used for supplies that support the project, but other expenses, such as faculty summer salary, are not allowed. The goal of this investment is to nurture interesting projects whose scope is outside of the work supported by presently funded sponsored projects.

How do I apply? 

All applications should be submitted through our online form:

Submission form for 2026 SPROUT proposals

Those seeking renewals for previously funded SPROUTs should follow the instructions for the shorter application for “previously supported SPROUTs.” They must provide evidence of any submitted (or soon to be submitted) proposal that was the intended outcome of the original SPROUT award, as well as a one-page request for additional support that details progress on the project.  

New applications and applications that did not receive prior SPROUT support must submit a two-page proposal describing the project, its impact, and how it advances one or more of the College’s impact areas/priority research directions.  

Applicants are encouraged to pay special attention to these points: 

  • Justify why the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and provide the approximate relative weight of contribution from each faculty member.
  • Explain how this project is interdisciplinary, and how this cross-disciplinary effort can advance the field beyond traditional approaches.
  • Articulate the planned path to compete for external funds to support the project in its next stages after the sprout funding. Please include specific funding opportunities that you will apply for. 

Within the body of the proposal, please elaborate on your prior collaborative efforts. If you provided a link to a collaboratively published paper, please indicate how this funding will directly lead to a proposal submission.  

For a declined proposal, please provide a brief summary of reviewer comments that can be addressed through support from the SPROUT program, including the final reviewer assessments/scores along with the summary paragraph from the agency or its equivalent.  

Important to note: This year, additional funds will be available to support proposals that received exceptional reviews but were not funded. If you wish to be considered for this enhanced support, you must submit the full reviews of your proposal. The Qualtrics survey will prompt you to upload these documents. 

For this cycle, there is no need to create a budget. On the Qualtrics form, simply indicate whether you would like to apply for a full SPROUT award, a half SPROUT award, or consideration for the additional SPROUT funding for exceptional projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can I participate in more than one proposal?

    No, each faculty member can only appear on one SPROUT application per cycle.

  • Can I submit to this opportunity as well as other internal funding programs (e.g., New Frontiers, FAST)?

    Yes, this is encouraged and will not count against you.

  • Do all participating researchers on a proposal need to be in Duffield Engineering?

    Only the lead PI needs to have an appointment in Duffield Engineering. All investigators must have Cornell appointments, as this is an internal funding opportunity.

  • Can all investigators be from the same department?

    Yes, but the case for interdisciplinary work must be strong.

  • Who do I contact if I have more questions?

    Please email Amie Prince, chief of staff for Duffield Engineering, at ajp246@cornell.edu.